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If you're a U.S. citizen and dream of international travel, you won't get very far without a U.S. passport. If you decide to begin with a visit to America's neighbor to the south, Mexico, you have a lot to look forward to, including dramatic and exceptional natural beauty, a colorful and vibrant culture and fascinating historical sites. You'll need more than your ticket to ride, however, to cross that border. You'll need a valid U.S. passport in most cases.

Passports Required

Anyone who tells you that they crossed into Mexico with just a driver's license and a smile is showing his age. That used to be the rule in simpler times, but modern laws on both sides of the border require that a traveler from the U.S. bear a valid U.S. passport to enter Mexico and to get back home again.

Unlike some countries, Mexico doesn't mandate that you have a certain period of validity on your passport to get across the border. It simply has to be valid at the moment you enter. You can stay up to 120 days. For a visit longer than 120 days, you'll need a tourist visa.

Passport Book or Passport Card

The passport card looks like a driver's license and slips neatly into your wallet. Since Mexico is one of the few places it can be used, you may jump at the chance to pay less for a passport. However, you'll want to think twice about whether it really will meet your needs.

A passport card can be used only between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. How about England, France or Italy? Nope. You'll need the more expensive old standby – the passport book. And if you're flying rather than driving to Mexico, you can't use the passport card either. That means that you probably want to get a passport book even if you're driving to Mexico. It's what will get you back home on an airplane in case an emergency strikes, like a hurricane, an earthquake or a medical condition. A passport card won't.

Other Possible Travel Documents

The governments of the United States and Mexico have developed a few "trusted traveler" programs to expedite border crossings. These are meant for those who drive regularly or frequently across the border and can prove that they are low-risk travelers. The programs include Free and Secure Trade for Commercial Vehicles (FAST) and the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI).

You have to apply for these programs in advance. After you file an application, you're subject to a background check. If you are approved, you can cross the border on dedicated lanes in certain crossing locations without a passport.

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About the Author

Teo Spengler was born in central Alaska and has been traveling ever since. A freelance writer with an MA in English and MFA in Creative writing, she's written travel pieces for S.F.Gate, Fairmont Hotels, IHS Hotels, Jet Blue, Choice Hotels, Women of Green, eHow, Arizona Central and USA Today, among others. She has lived one the East Coast and the West, as well as Mexico, Switzerland, Italy and France. She and currently splits her time between San Francisco and France's Basque Country.

Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.